EMBEDDED NONVOLATILE MEMORY ELEMENTS HAVING RESISTIVE SWITCHING CHARACTERISTICS

摘要

Nonvolatile memory assemblies are provided that each include a resistive switching layer and a current steering element. The steering element may be a transistor connected in series with the switching layer. The resistance control provided by the steering element allows the use of switching layers requiring low switching voltages and currents. Memory assemblies including such switching layers are easier to embed into integrated circuit chips having other low voltage components such as logic and digital signal processing components than, for example, flash memories requiring much higher switching voltages. In some embodiments, the provided non-volatile memory assemblies operate at switching voltages less than about 3.0 V and corresponding currents less than 50 microamps. The memory element may comprise a metal suspended hafnium oxide disposed between the titanium nitride electrode and the doped polysilicon electrode. One electrode may be connected to the drain or source of the transistor, and the other electrode is connected to the signal line.